March Break 2010 Repairs on Hipnautical, Grampian Discovery 79

Replace Foam Core in Deck

November 2009

After a great season, we set up a system with PVC and wood runners over my horizontally supported mast. I ended up using a 20x30 tarp along with a few smaller end tarps with 2 old soccer nets over her to keep it down and the mast was over 6 ft off the deck so all snow would fall off. In early March of 2010 an easterly ripped this tarp system off, we replaced it with a 30x50 which is what we are working under now.

March 13 Take all extra boat stuff off and prep boat. Strip all fittings (cleats, winches, etc). Store them where we will find them later. Take sliding roof off, begin stripping old caulk. Find that center roof is fine, just a few cracks on the runners. Go home and download West Marine’s Fibreglass Boat Repair PDF off the net, read and feel somewhat better about the job.

March 14 Every one has a different idea about how to proceed, some say underneath, others say top down, wait, start, drill, chip out. I honestly begin to worry I am not doing the right thing, but damn the torpedoes I am going ahead. Chris, and I begin to tape the area, worrying a bit, John H comes aboard and seems to agree with our assessment.

We decide to cut with a Ryobi 18 Volt cordless Skill saw, and find out it works but burns thru batteries fast. In the wait times we scrape the excess caulking out. Finally we get the outline cut and begin to chisel and pry the skin off. The foam core is saturated and I realize that it was a good thing to do the large cut.

So now we are using some heat and waiting til the marine store opens tomorrow to buy the resin and cut the marine plywood to fit.

More to follow tomorrow!

Brad J Boudreau
Hipnautical
Grampian Discovery 79 hull #38